Human Systems Integration Archives » Engineering for Humans

System Design Lessons from the USS McCain

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 16 June 2024

The Navy installed touch-screen steering systems to save money.

Ten sailors paid with their lives.
ProPublica

*USS* McCain *in 2019 (U.S. Navy Photo)*

Ten sailors died after the crew of the destroyer USS John S. McCain lost control of their vessel, causing a collision with the merchant tanker Alnic MC. There was nothing technically wrong with the vessel or its controls. Though much of the blame was put on the Sailors and Officers aboard, the real fault rests with the design of the Integrated Bridge & Navigation System (IBNS).

Human Factors Design Drives System Performance

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 28 March 2021

Bottom Line Up Front:

Human performance is a major factor in overall system performance
Humans are increasingly the bottleneck for system performance
Human factors engineering design drives human performance and thus system performance

Why care about humans?

In many system development efforts, the focus is on the capabilities of the technology: How fast can the jet fly? How accurately can the rifle fire?

We can talk about the horsepower of the engines and the boring of the rifle until the cows come home, but without a human pressing the throttle or pulling the trigger, neither technology is doing anything. A major mistake many systems engineering efforts experience is neglecting the impact of the human on the performance of the system.

DoD re-affirms importance of HSI in acquisition policy overhaul

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 27 September 2020

The US Department of Defense is overhauling it’s acquisition policy from a stale, process-driven approach to a new, outcome-driven approach. The new concept is called the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF). Its goal is to remove bureaucracy and give government program managers more flexibility to adapt to the needs of their particular acquisition.

The Swiss cheese model: Designing to reduce catastrophic losses

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 21 July 2019

Failures and errors happen frequently. A part breaks, an instruction is misunderstood, a rodent chews through a power cord. The issue gets noticed, we respond to correct it, we clean up any impacts, and we’re back in business.

Occasionally, a catastrophic loss occurs. A plane crashes, a patient dies during an operation, an attacker installs ransomware on the network. We often look for a single cause or freak occurrence to explain the incident. Rarely, if ever, are these accurate.

System lexicons and why your project needs one

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 21 April 2019

A system lexicon is a simple tool which can have a big impact on the success of the system. It aligns terminology among technical teams, the customer, subcontractors, support personnel, and end users. This creates shared understanding and improves consistency. Read on to learn how to implement this powerful tool on your program.

The Role of the Human Systems Integrator

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 1 March 2019

This article is required reading for anyone who needs to hire, wants to become, or is going to be working with an HSI expert. Understand what the job entails, the key skills required, and how it relates to the rest of the systems engineering effort.

The Value of HSI

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 23 February 2019

The application of human systems integration (HSI) throughout a project results in improved system performance, reduced lifecycle cost, reduced development risk, and no increase in development cost when executed effectively.

Is Human Systems Integration Different from Human Factors Engineering?

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 22 February 2019

DoD acquisition policy requires Human Systems Integration (HSI). Various human-centered engineering approaches are also gaining traction outside of military projects. But is HSI just a fancier way of saying Human Factors Engineering (HFE)?

Human Systems Integration: The Basics

Posted by Benjamin Schwartz on 17 February 2019

Human systems integration (HSI) is a systems engineering function with the goal of optimizing system performance and cost across the entire system lifecycle. It ensures that the human elements of the system are given at least as much consideration as any other component across the entire project. HSI is a relatively new and often misunderstood term. Here are the basics: